Catalytic Generation of Superbasic Carbanions

Abstract

Superbasic carbanions such as phenyl anion and t-butyl anion have been commonly utilized in organic synthesis, typically prepared using stoichiometric organometallic reagents (e.g., alkyllithium, Grignard reagents). The activation of organosilicon compounds with Lewis base represented by Hosomi-Sakurai allylation is another attractive way to generate reactive carbanions in relatively mild conditions. While this reaction system has been extensively investigated so far, its extension to superbasic carbanions remains unexplored. This short review describes the recent advancements in catalytic methodologies for the production of superbasic carbanions from organosilicon compounds.